For years I avoided the plus-size community, now it’s the only place I want to belong

“In truth, I desperately wanted what they had but couldn’t yet grasp: the confidence.”

Truthfully, I was feeling nervous to attend Melbourne Fashion Week last month. In the office, where I work as FJ’s Branded Content and Production Coordinator, my desk buddy Daisy, our Assistant Editor, asked if I was excited to attend my first M/FW show. 

I answered truthfully, “I just really hope there’s going to be size representation. Also, I’m not looking forward to doing the ‘what we wore’ article, because there are no designer brands that have my size… I’ll have to go in my underwear at this point.”

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My negative outlook comes from years of lived experience working in the fashion industry as a plus-size woman. Since I was 19, I’ve always been between a size 16 and 18 (AU) and I’ve learnt to be cautious, going to events like this.

From a lack of size-inclusive models, to emails from PR brands saying, “unfortunately, we have a super limited size range for loans,” to seeing maybe only one or two other plus-sized people at Fashion Weeks in Sydney, I’ve felt it over and over, the unmistakable message: This event is not for you.

While I recognise it’s a privilege to be invited to these events, it’s impossible to ignore the weight (excuse the pun) of knowing that in many cases, they’re not designed for women like me, a reality mid-size content creator Allie Daisy King captures in this open letter to fashion brands.

The truth is, the Australian fashion industry still has a long way to go when it comes to embracing fashion lovers like myself. Vogue’s annual Size Inclusivity Report continues to call out this gap, both nationally and internationally. This year, less than one per cent of designs worn by models from the international market were plus-size, and in Australia’s 2025 report, less than two percent featured plus-size representation.

Beyond the numbers, the feeling this creates is one of loneliness. In my first fashion job in Sydney, I was the only plus-sized woman in the office, often the largest person at branded industry events and the only plus-sized friend in my social circle. When that awful TikTok chubby filter went around recently, I found myself crying alone in the car. For years, I’ve been navigating this body-positivity journey entirely on my own.

For a very long time, I avoided the plus-size community. When I attended a plus-size clothing market in Newtown two years ago, I walked inside and looked around. I saw people of all shapes and sizes. I saw stretch marks, bellies and cellulite on display. But beyond that, what struck me most was the celebration; people dancing, laughing, completely comfortable in their own skin. I felt so overwhelmed that I left. 

If I’m being totally honest, I resented them. Their body positivity felt like a world I couldn’t yet enter. I hadn’t accepted my own body, so I wasn’t ready to be part of a community where others already had. For a long time, I couldn’t even bring myself to follow other incredible plus-sized creators. It hurt to see their posts because, in truth, I desperately wanted what they had but couldn’t yet grasp: the confidence.

This year, I’d already created in my mind what I expected Melbourne Fashion Week to be. I mentally prepared for all the shame and inadequacy I’d felt in the past, long before I even had the chance to experience it for myself.

 

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My inner saboteur didn’t appear out of nowhere. Time and time again, I’ve been told that society doesn’t want ‘fat’ people to come together and celebrate their bodies and identities. My confidence has been eroded for years by the promotion of weight-loss drugs, AI trends, fashion imagery and social media. I was swallowed up by that pressure, fear and shame, hiding myself from this community and denying myself the chance to be part of something truly great. 

But this year’s Melbourne Fashion Week provided a different experience. Not only did I see more size-diverse models at the shows, it was also the first Fashion Week I attended where I genuinely felt that the event was made for people like me. 

I was supported by the city’s incredibly talented and diverse designers, such as Perple and Cakey Sportsman, who reassured me, I wouldn’t have to go in my underwear. For the first time, I felt that I and my body were just as important as everyone else’s. Within ten minutes of arriving at my first runway on Tuesday, curve model and content creator, Annika Nielsen, came up to me and complimented my outfit, giving me a much-needed boost of confidence.

 

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The same experience happened the following night, where I was cheered on and supported by plus-size content creator Hannah Sfetcopoulosh, Annika and Allie Daisy King. We stood together before the show, chatting and hyping each other up. At that moment, it felt just like the Newtown market I visited years ago, with people celebrating their bodies as they are. I left the event with my cheeks hurting from smiling so much. 

That night, it hit me how much I’d been needing the plus-size community, and how important dedicated spaces for us are. I realised just how crucial in-person events can be for boosting self-confidence. 

If I can stress anything to any plus-sized girl reading this, it’s to not hide in the shadows like I did for years. Annika stated it perfectly: “A few years ago, I asked myself, ‘Who benefits from me feeling this way?’ Now, if the answer isn’t ‘me,’ I push through and remember the young girl I once was, trying to make it up to her.”

Being cheered on in the office by the Fashion Journal girls, getting support from the very talented plus-size girls at M/FW, and backed by my friends who’ve always told me I’m beautiful, I’m in a much more positive and confident headspace. 

I want to be part of this community. And I’m ready to wear sheer Cakey Sportsman pants that show my ass and strut through Barkly Square while everyone stares, all thanks to the community who gave me the confidence to do so.

For more on size-inclusivity in fashion, try this.